The pilgrimage journeyed along the East Coast, beginning in St. Augustine, Florida, May 24. The trip traveled as far as Maine and finished in Pennsylvania on July 5, having traveled across almost every original American colony.

This year’s pilgrimage followed the theme “One Nation Under God.” Its purpose was to uplift the Eucharist in a way that uplifts America on its 250th birthday also.

Sharon Phillips, one of the perpetual pilgrims this year, said we needed this reminder of keeping Christ at the center of our lives.

“We are here as this nation, and we are here as these people, and we might experience division or disagreements … but ultimately, we remember that Jesus is king and that he really is Lord over all,” she said.

This is the third pilgrimage the National Eucharistic revival has completed, with a goal to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Communities across the state showed their enthusiasm through incredible participation, and the energy was palpable at every pilgrimage stop. For instance, hundreds of Catholics traveled to the Holy City to process with the Eucharist through the streets of downtown Charleston. Onlookers watched as our Lord was carried in the mile-long route from Broad Street to Queen Street.

“It’s really an invitation not just to Catholics now, but to anyone in the wake of this pilgrimage to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist,” Phillips said.

One young adult shared with staff that he has been searching for a church community where he truly belongs. He said that desire was what drew him to attend the procession.

Eucharistic processions are a longstanding Catholic tradition, dating to the papal decree of 1264 when Pope Urban IV established the feast of Corpus Christi. They have remained a public display of faith and trust in the Lord ever since. As Pope Leo XIV said, processing with Eucharist is a way to present Jesus “to the hearts of those who believe, so that they may believe more firmly.”

In Charleston, after the procession returned to the Cathedral, participants were invited to stay for overnight adoration and, after it concluded the next morning, Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, celebrated a Mass for the pilgrims. He blessed their journey and all its participants along the route.  

To read more about this historic Eucharistic Pilgrimage for our nation, visit eucharisticpilgrimage.org.